Boboji is cold-skewer hotpot: ingredients are cooked before being steeped in seasoned broth. Red-oil versions emphasize chilli and sesame, while rattan pepper is fresher and aromatic rather than necessarily non-spicy.
Flavour and ingredients
- Red oil
- Chilli, sesame, crushed peanuts and spices produce the classic aromatic red broth.
- Rattan pepper
- Green and rattan peppers create a brighter numbing aroma, suggested as an alternative to heavier red oil.
- Mix meat and vegetables
- Typical choices include chicken feet, gizzard, chicken, lotus root, potato, wood ear, quail eggs and kelp.
Five boboji shops we recommend
- Ye Popo Boboji
- Aromatic sesame red oil with relatively gentle heat, plus dan hong gao; expect substantial queues. The collected recommendation list gives it 54%; that figure is not an independent vote.
- Leshan Xianzhiwei Boboji
- Quoted at CNY 0.5 per skewer, with red-oil and rattan-pepper flavours. The collected recommendation list gives it 31%; that figure is not an independent vote.
- Tan Jia Boboji
- We recommend its lighter flavour profile and soft pork trotter. The collected recommendation list gives it 9%; that figure is not an independent vote.
- Fan Siniang Boboji
- Fragrant red oil and fresh rattan pepper, with chicken-soup rice suggested alongside. The collected recommendation list gives it 6%; that figure is not an independent vote.
- Leshan Guanji Boboji
- We recommend its clean ingredients and flavour that travels well as takeaway. The collected recommendation list gives it 4%; that figure is not an independent vote.
Before ordering
- Check the actual shop and price
- Percentages, skewer prices and pairings are reference information. Confirm the branch and current menu. ‘Cold pot’ describes the serving style, not a lack of chilli or uncooked ingredients.